When is a curse not a curse? How does a house become a prison? Why is a reformed murderer the only hope for a far-too-easily injured boy?
Athelas has always been opposed to having a small, possibly-cursed Australian boy in the kitchen. When that small boy disappears, however, and Athelas’ housekeeper Camellia strongly encourages him to do something about it, he finds himself wavering.
YeoWoo wants nothing to do with the disappearing Harrow, cursed or otherwise. Caught up with her own investigation and preparations for revenge, she would prefer her housemates to remain unseen and unheard. Entirely absent is even better.
But Athelas and YeoWoo have something in common: they both tread warily when it comes to their housekeeper, who runs the house with a tea-scented, magic-laced rod of iron. Camellia holds the key to Athelas’ pretensions of reformation being accepted—and blames him for Harrow’s disappearance. And she is determined to save Harrow, no matter what it takes.
Life as a reformed murderer would be so much easier if the process didn’t include so much…reformation.
W.R. Gingell is an Australian author of urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and madcap science fiction who doesn't seem to be able to write a book without a body suddenly turning up. She solemnly swears that all such bodies are strictly fictional in nature.
She lives in a refurbished 1970s Bedford Bus in the south of Tasmania, where she spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and raising spinach, strawberries, and one small, fluffy dog. Like Peter Pan, W.R. never really grew up, and despite the inconveniences of chronically ill life, is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
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yeowoo is irritated, athelas is barely clinging to life, and camellia is...doing what camellia does when there's no one to see it
harrow, on the other hand, has disappeared--which means it's up to athelas to find him, if all of the bits and pieces of his past don't catch up with him first.
it's going to be a long slog, but athelas is up to the challenge, of course!
Re-read post release: one of Wendee's more tightly woven plots + some understated romantic awakening + lots and lots of nightmares. For all the ways that Athelas doesn't want to change, I'm fascinated by the tiny ways in which he is.
To be honest, it took me a while to read the first book in the series, A Whisker Behind, mainly because it was a lot different than I expected and I didn’t really get into it until the plot twist at the very end.
However. Behind Closed Doors is so much better. Character dynamics are explored, there’s quite a bit of action, and characters that we’re familiar with from City Between show up quite a bit, surprisingly. There’s also some new stuff introduced that I’m pretty excited about as well. So, if you’re like me and was a bit underwhelmed by the first book- or even if you’re not like me and loved the first book- definitely give Behind Closed Doors a try. 👍
I am listening to the audiobooks. The male narrator does an amazing job with Athelas. Not so great for other side characters like Zero.
I really enjoying myself but also was kinda confused in this one. I think it's hard to be in the mind of a twisty Fae.
I am reserving judgment for the series until I get to the end. I might have to reread the series to understand what happened.
One thing you do get in this book is a horrifying look at Athelas' early life and an idea of how much he was abused. The idea that someone would take a young boy with healing power and make them into a killer, is so horrifying and sad.
As Delightfully Dangerous as a certain bergamot-scented housekeeper to a wily Fae or a mulish merman to a vengeful gumiho, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS has offered a tantalizing glimpse into the direction this series is headed, and I couldn’t be happier to see where it goes!
Things I loved about this book:
* the moral quandaries surrounding all our main characters * the mysteries surrounding the same * the deliberate (?) inversion of fantasy romance tropes (the dual POV is often used for two sides of a main couple, and I’m chuffed to see the author playing with that expectation and having the two leads NOT attracted to each other in the slightest) * Camellia and Athelas 😭 🫖 * YeoWoo and Marazul 😭 💔 * Harrow, sweet precious shadow boi * the glimpses into Athelas’ past * ZEROOOOOOOOO * the growth of certain characters from the previous series * the PARALLELS - I noticed certain little nods and it was just beautiful
Basically, I just want these characters to all end up safe and happy and healed by the end of this, okay?
***
Pre-read review:
*ARRIVES, ARMED WITH THEORIES*
* Camellia is a dragon * Camellia is a queen * Camellia is a dragon queen
Only two of those are theories; one is just simple statement of fact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Re-Read Review: The audiobook narration was well done and enjoyable to listen to. That ending was especially thrilling to re-read via audiobook!
Original Review: After the killer cliffhanger ending of the last book, I snapped up this book as soon as it released! Our favorite twisty fae is back, and this time, he's downright haunted by his past, and we readers are finally given a glimpse of his past.
Camellia + Athelas is giving me life. And that hallway scene in the finale...*chef's kiss*
I loved this book. I feel like I cannot talk about it AT ALL without sharing spoilers (which is a mark of good writing, I feel like) but I SO enjoyed this book!
I think, as always, I love the progression of characters. The older I get, and the more involved I get in story telling, to me this is the mark of a book I will enjoy. I know not everyone will agree with me (and to be sure, there are exceptions to this rule even for me) but seeing characters grow from the beginning of the story to the end is the most satisfying part of the story for me.
This book hits that brief in spades. There are definitely more elements to that—also in spades—but the reformation of our favorite morally grey character continues to be a compelling, often hilarious story.
I want to say more. There were SO MANY individual moments that happened during the story that were so incredibly meaningful and just build into why I love the character arcs so much, but all of them happen to be very spoilery, and so I won’t. Suffice it to say: It’s good. Read these series.
As always @wrgingell, thank you for the massively satisfying and entertaining book. I cannot wait to continue the saga!
Yeah, five starring it because I enjoy these characters WAY too much. There's just something incredibly unique about her characters and writing style, not to mention the way she handles characters arcs like Athelas' and YeoWoo's. I can't explain it in clear words without getting into spoilers (but a warning just in case) that she somehow does indeed manage to skilfully weave a tale of redemption (or atonement; you choose which word is right) in the midst of a flawed world, where people will unfortunately always struggle with their flaws and be imperfect. It's black and white acknowledging the shades of gray, and isn't that something beautiful?
Anyway, I think these books have somehow won me over way faster than CB did (probably helped that I so do love Camellia and YeoWoo. And Athelas, too, of course xp)
Content: again, blood and murder and gore and tortures. I wouldn't say it's in graphic detail but there IS detail, so there's that. No language. Allusions to (slight spoilers) trafficking of various sorts and slavery.
Athelas gets haunted by his past, some details are dropped about Camellia, YeoWoo gets some regrets, and Harrow gets a bit of hope. In addition to that, some more familiar faces are present and actually get some lines. Athelas remains hard to read and one can never quite tell when he's being genuine and when he's got something planned. At any rate, baby steps of progress are made (I think) and no one is more surprised than our wayward fae himself. YeoWoo, in reflecting on herself a bit, sees more similarities between herself and Athelas than she would like and is kind of thrown for a loop upon realizing this. I look forward to seeing this being expanded on in the next book. Camellia remains one of the more mysterious characters and while we get some details, she remains mostly tight-lipped about herself so I very much anticipate learning more about her.
(also, for the record, I'm fully convinced that Athelas and Camellia will be a thing)
Not sure how to review this—if you’re a fan of this series, you’ve already read 11 books so one review is not what will convince you to read this installment; and if you’ve never read the City Between books, absolutely do not start here. Anyhow, at this point in a series I feel like we are COMMITTED so my review is unnecessary. But reviews are good so here are my incoherent thoughts:
-love the dual POV -I am SHIPPING Athelas and Camilla -YeoWoo’s anguish at the end broke me -SAVE THE MERMAN -Wendee is definitely smarter than I am and sometimes it’s hard to follow the plot a bit
Loved this even more than the previous book. One scene had my heart pounding and feeling aahhhhhhh and then I couldn't stop reading even though I meant to sleep 2 hours ago.
The character arcs are character arcing.
Some spots of gore.
Backstory unveiling more. Quite sad but helps me understand more.
I love how petty the characters are sometimes. It feels very real in a way I usually don't read in books. It's very fun.
This one took a little while to draw me in, but was so rewarding. Themes of justice, guilt, love, and atonement are perfectly woven into a plot about Behindkind trafficking. I really enjoyed the deepening textures of Seoul Between (the excited river dragon!) and learning more about Sea Kind. Super happy to see one of my favourite characters from the City Between series is back and maybe - just maybe - has a little crush on YeoWoo??! Eeeek!! We get a LOT more insight into Athelas’s awful, trauma-ridden background, and a creepy new female villain who is offensively into him (BACK OFF). Camellia continues to be quietly crushing and nurturing at the same time (#goals). And THAT RELATIONSHIP that we are all waiting for progresses quite a bit more than I anticipated for book 2 and is just as complex and satisfying as anyone could hope. The third act and climax is, as usual, cathartic and horrifying and beautiful. A bit of a gore warning for the big battle (but hey, it’s Athelas).
This book was so good. As a fan of a certain merman, this book was exactly what I wanted. Though I can’t believe what you have done to him, or rather what Yeo woo has let happen to him. I mean “don’t forget me”, and then she literally left him, seriously how could you!!!! 😡😡😡😡
Also Camellia!!!!!!! I mean I thought I couldn’t like her more but I was wrong. And honestly that scene when Athelas was defending her, and Harrow was beautiful 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. I mean I know he was doing it for (dare I say almost) entirely selfish reasons, but still. I mean he pretty much stabbed Zero, so. I know he has so far to come. And reading this has shown that even more. But honestly I don’t mind, I’m just enjoying how hilarious his (and Yeo woo’s) calculating thoughts are. So thanks so much for writing this great book, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If you haven’t read any of the City Between books or the first installment of The Worlds Behind, I’ll wait for you to do that before you read the rest of this review. … …… ……… Done? Good. So you’ll know what’s in store for you here: More Athelas. More Camellia. More YeoWoo. More cameos from CB, including one that made me SQUEAL. My babyyyyyy precious charrie. ❤️ And the interactions? Brilliant. Plot? Fun and twisty and any hallway scenes shall live rent free in my head. IYKYK. So basically. Read it. That is all.
Athelas is thoughtful and incredibly unsettled, YeoWoo is angry, Harrow is small and precious, Camellia is as wise and mysterious as ever, and other characters appear in precise places in a series installment where conviction meets sticky darkness and raging memories.
(And certain parallels to Between Floors, as well as certain character interactions, both broke and filled my heart.)
⛓️💥 heads-up for violence, gore, and discussions/memories of abuse and trafficking ⛓️💥
I put this aside for a bit and rather lost track of the complicated plot, which takes us deeper into both Athelas and YeoWoo's dark and morally compromised pasts and dark and morally complicated present day. It also takes seriously the traditional association between fae and slavery, refusing to glamorise it and presenting it in modern human trafficking guise that could be taken as a parable about real trafficking in some sense. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
I just want someone to hug Athelas. No one pays as much attention to him as Pet did, there is no one here to really see just how mentally eff'd he is. Because of the "training" and contract slavery. And not being able to escape.
That being said, I didn't really understand what 'Zul was doing here??? Like HOW did he get into this situation?!I assumed it was undercover work, but is it not?!!?? Ugh this book was unsatisfying, but did feel like we moved forward a bit.
Things I liked: -Athelas POV -fun new cast -snark -sly shenanigans being foiled by both frank malice and lack thereof -mystery and Between things
Things I didn't like: -overall not much, just a bit bloody and messy at times (which I expected coming into this because it's Athelas, so I wasn't surprised by it)
Review for books 1-3 of the series (all that were out at the time).
4.5, round up.
You know, I didn’t think Gingell could top The City Between series with a spin-off, and I don’t know if I’d say this tops it. But man, is it right up there with it! I love what I have read so far, which is the first three books (all that are currently available).
The series does start out kind of slow and takes a little while to truly get invested in, even knowing and loving one of the main characters. But once it happens, there is a lot to love here. For me, the best part is the gruff, prickliness of both Athelas and YeoWoo that hides an absolute gooey center that both would deny until their dying breath…probably with their dying breath, actually. I ADORED them both! And seeing each paired with people who see right through them is a joy.
I do think there are a few phrases used too frequently (fancy and my dear come to mind). Though the humor and language are great, sometimes I wasn’t wholly sure what was happening. For example, a character would think, “Oh, I see,” and then the narrative would move on. But I was left going, “Wait, what do you see? I don’t see.”
Lastly, I very much enjoyed the glimpses of previous characters but was admittedly frustrated that those glimpses are all we get. All in all, I can’t wait for more. I admit, I originally thought it was going to be a trilogy. (I don’t know where I got that idea.) So, I’m both disappointed not to have reached a climactic conclusion and thrilled that I’ll get more time with these characters in the future. I have pre-ordered book four, Behind the Curtain.
YeoWoo is such an honestly written character. like…wow. I feel like not a lot of authors would have her actually make the choice, or would excuse it…but W. R. Gingell both has her make it and shows it for what it is—and uses it to show YeoWoo who she is and open the door for character growth. like it’s literally so good. other authors, even really good ones that i really like, sometimes are not honest about their characters’ flaws (in both directions). one of the reasons Gingell has become one of my favorite authors of all time is that she is, uniquely, always honest about her characters. that’s why i was terrified to read this series (very few characters have somehow gotten their claws so deeply into me as Athelas) but also not. It’s wild to trust an author so much, wild but awesome
So I love how we casually tripped over Marazul. I was NOT expecting him to appear in this series. We all know there are demons in Athelas’s past, and we got a good glimpse of them here. The big fight at the end was really rewarding. We see a bit of romance developing, and a significant encounter with Zero. I can help loving the fact that we can see that Athelas’s instincts are still protective. When he doesn’t have time to think through and plan his actions and reacts instinctively, he almost always chooses to protect and heal.
This one took a little to get into, but once it got going I was so invested. I was actually sad when I reached the end. I soo want to know what happened to a certain M fellow. Also squealed out loud at one part. Definitely looking forward to the next book. August feels so far away!